Solstice Stand Up Paddleboard Review

At just $469, the Solstice 10’8” Stand Up Paddleboard is the cheapest SUP on the market. As one might expect for the price, the Solstice is an inflatable board so there are immediately going to be question marks over its durability and stability. The bottom line is that this is a budget SUP which offers tremendous value!

Solstice Features

The Solstice is a very basic SUP but it is designed to be extremely rigid when pumped up. It is made from durable 1000-denier 3-ply PVC reinforced plastic and is indeed rather firm when completely inflated. Here is a list of its features:

It comes with a carrying bag which is handy for storing and transporting the board

It comes in a package containing a pump and gauge along with the board. The pump is pretty lousy, and I recommend purchasing a solid electronic pump.

It is made with a large EVA non-slip traction which is designed for improved comfort and grip

Contains four stainless tie-downs which help to secure the gear

Setting It Up

As the Solstice is an inflatable board, storing and transporting it is rather easy. Inflating it on the other hand is not. It is difficult to inflate this SUP to a full 15 PSI even if an electric pump is used. Suffice to say, the pump that comes with the Solstice isn’t particularly good so we would recommend purchasing a two-stage 12V pump if you want to inflate the board nice and fast.

The good news is that the board is rather firm once you go past the 12 PSI mark which is easily achievable with a decent quality pump. After being fully inflated, this SUP does not collapse in the middle and can actually withstand 350+ pounds which is impressive.

Performance

There is no doubt; the Solstice is built to last! Despite being light and easy to carry, the aforementioned 1000-denier 3-ply PVC material is reinforced and very strong. We’ve tested it quite a bit and have found it does an excellent job of withstanding wear and tear over a period of time. Although it is mainly for calm waters such as rivers, it handles rougher water surprisingly well.

We felt comfortable standing in the board as it didn’t bend or collapse and it is actually quite easy to maintain your balance when paddling on the Solstice.

As one would expect this board isn’t designed for the surf and we recommend keeping it out of heavy surf. If you want to go for a light paddle surf, this board certainly is capable but it’s far from ideal. We were also delighted to find it coped well in cold water; again, you may expect the colder temperature of the water to drastically reduce the board’s PSI but this doesn’t happen.

Cons

There is something misleading about this Solstice package since it doesn’t actually come with a paddle! Therefore, it is easy to assume there is a paddle included with the SUP; however, there is a separate Solstice package entirely containing the paddle and this costs a little extra. We have to say the standard of the paddle is not the greatest and we suggest you purchase a higher quality model for an extra $30 or $40 to get the best possible performance.

We’ve looked through various customer reviews and found there have been issues with the board bubbling on the bottom. Worse still, these individuals were unable to deflate the offending areas so the SUP was essentially unusable. While we did not experience these issues, it’s important for you to know as much as possible before making a purchase.

Overall

This is certainly not an SUP for experienced surfers or paddlers since it doesn’t travel particularly fast. Nonetheless, the Solstice is a reasonably good board for the price and is durable and stable enough to enjoy relatively calm waters. If you are new to paddling and just want to cruise around, the Solstice is a nice, low-cost option.

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